An organic electroluminescence element (organic EL element) has a structure in which an organic electroluminescence layer (organic EL layer) including a light emitting layer made from an organic light emitting material is held between one pair of electrodes of which at least one is transparent or translucent. When a voltage is applied to between the one pair of the electrodes of the organic EL element having such a structure, electrons are injected from a cathode into the light emitting layer, holes are injected from an anode into the light emitting later and they are recombinated in the light emitting layer. Thus, the light emitting material in the light emitting layer is excited by energy generated at that time, and emits the light in the light emitting layer. A device obtained by forming this organic EL element on a substrate is referred to as an organic EL device herein. The organic EL device in which the organic EL elements have been formed on a platy substrate could be used for, for example, a planar light source, a segment display device, a dot matrix display device or the like.
When the organic EL element is exposed to water vapor or oxygen, it is deteriorated. Thus, after forming the organic EL element by sequentially stacking the anode, the organic EL layer including the light emitting layer and the cathode on the substrate such as a glass substrate, the organic EL element is entirely covered with an inorganic passivation film composed of silicon nitride and further a resin sealing film composed of resin on a surface of the inorganic passivation film (e.g., see Patent Document 1). In this case, if the inorganic passivation film has no defect, only by covering with the inorganic passivation film alone, high barrier property against the above gases can be sufficiently obtained. However, it is likely that the defect such as pinholes are found in the inorganic passivation films which are usually made. For this reason, a permeation path of gases such as water vapor and oxygen is blocked to enhance the entire barrier property by forming the resin sealing film on an upper surface of the inorganic passivation film to cover the defect of the inorganic passivation film, thereby preventing the deterioration of the organic EL element.
Patent Document 1: JP 2000-223264 A